[forrester]

Originally Posted by vamedic4

Finally sounds as if something's being done or that some people's voices are being heard. But I wonder...as I perused my subscribed threads I came upon the one about how the Mass. Nurse's Association opposes the whole idea behind "Magnet Recognition"...and guess who's behind the whole Magnet movement? That's right, your friends at the American Nurse's Credentialing Center - the for profit subsidiary of the ANA.

Call me a skeptic. One wonders how, if they're so concerned about safe staffing and nurse/patient ratios, deplorable conditions could exist for so long?

I don't know. I do, however, hope some good comes of this movement and that all nurses experience some positive outcomes from this campaign.

The magnet system, IN THEORY, is a wonderful idea. Hospitals want it as a marketing tool, for both patients and nurses.
IN PRACTICE, the magnet system has been a failure for most bedside nurses.

Perhaps a good idea would be to ask nurses from magnet facilities to respond to this.
Is it working?
Does self-governance work, and is this what we thought it would be?
Are your ratios "safe"?
How does working in a magnet facility differ from non-magnet facillities you have worked in?

I have only anecdotal information on this. The majority of nurses I have spoken with regarding the "magnet" status tell me there is little difference.

Key issues, such as ratios, floating, mandatory overtime, and salaries are outside the power of self-governance, according to what I have heard.

All that aside, if we can convince the ANA to get rid of the vague terminology and push for specific ratios, it could become a valuable tool for us.

Any "magnet" nurses out there????

[Julia RN]

The ANA supported bill is not the only federal staffing bill out there and ANA is not the only national organization addressing this issue.

There is another (better, IMO) option to take action on now!!!

H.R. 2123 - Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2007- (Schakowsky), currently has more cosponsors than the ANA bill (48 to 26). H.R. 2123 also requires hospitals to establish staffing plans through committees which include direct care nurses, but this bill establishes the minimum RN staffing ratios that these staffing plans must meet.

"The bill would require hospitals to implement staffing plans that meet specified ratios for direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing levels for each unit and other requirements, including for receiving input from nurses. Two years after passage-and four years for rural hospitals-hospitals would be expected to develop and implement nurse staffing plans that meet newly-established minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios, adjust staffing levels based on acuity of patients and other factors, and ensure quality care and patient safety."

The Minimum Direct Care Registered Nurse-to-Patient Ratios are-

• 1 patient in operating room units and trauma emergency units.

• 2 patients in critical care units, including emergency critical care and intensive care units, labor and delivery units, and postanesthesia units.

• 3 patients in antepartum units, emergency room units, pediatrics units, stepdown units, and telemetry units.

• 4 patients in intermediate care nursery units, medical/surgical units, and acute care psychiatric units.

• 5 patients in rehabilitation units.

• 6 patients in postpartum (3 couplets) units and well-baby nursery units.

In addition the bill provides for:
- PROTECTION OF NURSES AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
(a) Refusal of Assignment- A nurse may refuse to accept an assignment as a nurse in a hospital if--
(1) the assignment would violate section 3001 or 3003; or
(2) the nurse is not prepared by education, training, or experience to fulfill the assignment without compromising the safety of any patient or jeopardizing the license of the nurse.

Retaliation for refusal of assignment or reporting institutions for non-compliance is barred.

For more info see: http://www.uannurse.org/legislative/bill.html and
http://capwiz.com/criticalcare/issue...?bill=10365041

Bill text at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/...10Fm0C7M:e3442:

The UAN link has a sample letter that you can print and fax/send or paste it into the the AACN provided link after entering your zip code.

[BrokenRNheart]

Thanks for adding this information Julia.

[Shenanigans]

I wish they had something like that happening in NZL. Over the weekend my aunty almost died, she showed up at ED w abdo pain and was sent home, returned the next day and then waited for 2 more days for a scan.

Which is when the found the ruptured appendix!! Holy free holies, I'm a student and I can do the spring test for suspected appendix problem. She's now in ICU because the drugs she was given caused her asthma to get really bad. Stable as of this morning, though, thank the Lord God.

But NZL has real problems, beds as well, recently a woman who had just had an assited delivery was kicked out of a bed and left to sleep on a dirty bench in the waiting room by the public toilets.

[forrester]

Originally Posted by Shenanigans

I wish they had something like that happening in NZL. Over the weekend my aunty almost died, she showed up at ED w abdo pain and was sent home, returned the next day and then waited for 2 more days for a scan.

Which is when the found the ruptured appendix!! Holy free holies, I'm a student and I can do the spring test for suspected appendix problem. She's now in ICU because the drugs she was given caused her asthma to get really bad. Stable as of this morning, though, thank the Lord God.

But NZL has real problems, beds as well, recently a woman who had just had an assited delivery was kicked out of a bed and left to sleep on a dirty bench in the waiting room by the public toilets.

Seems many of these problems are widespread around the world. I have read recent articles from New Zealand, Australia, and England all questioning the capabilities, even the abilities, of nursing leaders to accomplish almost anything for the bedside nurse.

Don't feel so estranged. Many of us have less than ideal options to offer our patients. Maybe we need to talk together some how and figure out what kind of nursing leadership we really want. Hmmmm

[goldengurl57]

Thanks for the thread. I completed my survey. I recently made the move from med-surg to tele. I work on a teaching floor where our ratio is 4 pts to 1 RN. I am very happy with that ratio. Much, much happier.

[forrester]

Seems there are multiple parties attempting to do what the CNA/NNOC group has already accomplished in California.

Wonder if there is any way these "competing" factions can talk together and form 1 unified national nursing platform.

UAN, CNA/NNOC, Massachusett's Nursing Asociation, NYSNA......

We need to get away from ego issues (if that's the problem) and start figuring out how to work as a unified profession

Too many nurses are getting beat up.

Just a thought

[BrokenRNheart]

Originally Posted by forrester

Seems there are multiple parties attempting to do what the CNA/NNOC group has already accomplished in California.

Wonder if there is any way these "competing" factions can talk together and form 1 unified national nursing platform.

UAN, CNA/NNOC, Massachusett's Nursing Asociation, NYSNA......

We need to get away from ego issues (if that's the problem) and start figuring out how to work as a unified profession

Too many nurses are getting beat up.

Just a thought

You got that right. There needs to be one. They are all competing with eachother but the goal should be safe ratios for safe patient care and to cure the nursing shortage - PERIOD.

I, personally, will vote for all of them just to get the message out that something needs to be done.

I've been busy and I have returned to work. I hope this is temporary.

[ranaazha]

Originally Posted by Julia RN

The Minimum Direct Care Registered Nurse-to-Patient Ratios are-

• 1 patient in operating room units and trauma emergency units.

• 2 patients in critical care units, including emergency critical care and intensive care units, labor and delivery units, and postanesthesia units.

• 3 patients in antepartum units, emergency room units, pediatrics units, stepdown units, and telemetry units.

• 4 patients in intermediate care nursery units, medical/surgical units, and acute care psychiatric units.

• 5 patients in rehabilitation units.

• 6 patients in postpartum (3 couplets) units and well-baby nursery units.

How awesome would FOUR patients in med/surg be!

[forrester]

Originally Posted by ranaazha

[/list]How awesome would FOUR patients in med/surg be!

Seems to me that a patient needing such intense services that they must be hospitalized should get at least:
1/2 a nurse in critical care
1/3 of a nurse in step-down and ER
1/4 of a nurse in med-surg and tele

All appropriate in my book